Star Trek: Generations: Graduation
by rylansato
Summary: Academy graduates are assigned to their new ship but naturally, things never go according to plan. (The stories of this series will be based on the Star Trek: Online game missions.)
1. Chapter 1

STAR TREK: GENERATIONS

GRADUATION

The weather was perfect at Starfleet Academy in San Francisco. The actual ceremony had just ended and graduates were roamed around the courtyard as they mingled with friends, former classmates and family members. Cadet Kyou Zofchak stepped onto the courtyard, no longer a student but now a full Ensign. She spotted her twin sister, Ryou, standing with their parents, Dustin and Hoshi Zofchak, near one of the fountains. The two sisters were identical with the exception of their hair. Kyou had longer hair while Ryou cut hers short. Kyou also had a purple streak in her hair that went to the right while Ryou's purple streak went to the left.

"It's finally over," Ryou said.

Kyou nodded. "Yeah, I can't believe it. No more warp theories, no more classes on nano-technology."

"No more temporal mechanics," Ryou said.

"I actually liked temporal mechanics."

"The class was fun," her father said. "But trying to wrap your head around it in real situations can be give you a major headache. Your mother and I had our fair share of them when we were on the Alexandria."

"You two were actually brought up often in my temporal mechanics class," Kyou said.

"We were?" Dustin asked.

"Well specifically Mom."

"Oh?" Hoshi said.

"My professor liked to use your situation being from an alternate timeline of the past but yet still able to exist. He found it so fascinating."

"Your mother has always been the star of the family," Dustin said with a grin. "Have you two received your assignments yet?"

The twins shook their head in unison. Kyou felt her comm badge vibrate then chirp.

"Captain Sijael to Cadet Zofchak."

"Go ahead, Sir."

"Please report to my office. And bring your sister."

"On our way, Sir." Kyou looked at her sister then to her parents. "I wonder what this could be about."

Ryou shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we'll find out."

"It's best not to keep the captain waiting," Dustin said. "Especially one like Captain Sijael. I see Alex and Christine over there by the Dominion War Memorial, we'll go talk to them while you're at your meeting."

The twins hurried off as their parents walked over to greet their friends.

They reached the office of Captain Sijael. Kyou pressed the door chime and then heard Sijael's voice allowing them to enter. They felt a little nervous being summoned like this. Neither one of them knew why. Sijael was an imposing man with challenging eyes but there were rumors that he was one of the more gentler officers around.

"Ah, Cadets Kyou Zofchak and Ryou Zofchak. I've been going over your records. You two had quite the reputation here at the academy." His calm voice contradicted his appearance.

"Um...yes, Sir," they said in unison.

"Although, I do see a mark here on your record, Kyou. It seems there was an incident last year involving a professor."

Kyou sighed. "Sir, it really wasn't an incident. It was a matter of opinion of the quantum mechanics professor and I didn't agree with it."

"Oh?" Sijael said. "People have a right to their opinions, Cadet. Care to explain the situation?"

"The differing opinions were about an incident that occurred on stardate five eight one five two point four. The Alexandria encountered derelicts of Federation starships from another universe. In that particular universe, the Borg had destroyed the Federation and a chronometric distortion had caused that universe to merge into ours. The difference of opinion came about when I stated that universe was the original timeline."

"Oh?" Sijael said as he leaned forward with his elbows resting on his desk and his hands clasped. He was now intrigued by this statement.

"By the Q known as Amanda Rogers' own statement, she had to alter the timeline because she couldn't sit by and watch the Borg destroy the Federation. Altering the timeline to a better one means that our timeline is the alternate. The professor didn't believe in the idea that our timeline is the alternate and not the original."

"I see. So you stood up for what you believed in the face of an authority figure?"

"Yes, sir. I won't hesitate to do so."

"Fantastic," Sijael said. His choice of word caught the twins off guard. They glanced at each other as Sijael stood up. "Those are the types of traits I like in an officer, specifically my new first officer."

"First officer?" the twins said in unison

"Yes. At eighteen hundred hours you both will report to me on board the newly christened Enterprise. Kyou, you will be my new first officer and Ryou will be reporting as chief medical officer."

A sense of excitement rose up within the twins. However, they felt it to be odd to be on an Enterprise that wasn't commanded by their father. Captain Zofchak retired when the Enterprise-E was decommissioned. The Enterprise-F, a Vesta class, was built and was ready for its maiden voyage.

"First officer?"

"That's right. Judging by your record and by talking to you now, I can tell you have what it takes. And you aren't afraid to stand up to authority if you feel your position is right. I need that in my first officer. And Ryou, you have exemplary work in the medical field. And I see that you've worked under the head of Starfleet Medical, Doctor Crusher. She has high praises for you all around and you've shown calm under tense situations when treating wounded. You also have a keen ability to accurately assess a triage situation before even looking at a tricorder. The academy is losing some fine cadets but I'm gaining great officers."

The twins looked at each other and then back to Captain Sijael. "We won't let you down, Sir," they said in unison.

"Great. Dismissed."

The twins walked out of the office and once the doors closed behind them, they acted almost giddy. They hurried out of the building, looking for their parents.

"Mom and Dad will be thrilled to know we've been assigned to the Enterprise," Ryou said.

"And even more thrilled that we'll be part of the senior officers," Kyou said. "I wonder who else will be on the senior staff and which other cadets will be assigned to the Enterprise."

"I will be," a voice said behind them. The twins turned around to see Cadet Zoe Merriell leaning against the wall of the building they just walked out. "You are looking at the Operations officer of the Enterprise."

"All three of us are assigned to the Enterprise? That's fantastic." Ryou said.

"It's like we're the next generation," Kyou said. "All of our parents served together and now so are we. If only Ava was here then it would be complete."

"Yeah," Zoe said. "But she skipped out on graduation and went straight to her assignment over at the Vega Colony."

"How did she do that?" Ryou asked. "I thought it was mandatory to attend graduation."

"Normally it is, but she convinced the higher ups that she was needed to get to her assignment as soon as possible. During normal times, that wouldn't work but with a war with the Klingons going on right now, it seemed to work. She hitched a ride with the Khitomer over to Vega."

"I think she feels left out of the loop with us," Kyou said. "All of us have our parents but she only has her mother."

"Well, if you want to get really technical," Zoe said. "I don't have my real father either."

"Yes, but your father and real father are the same person but just from different universe. Your real father was not exactly a good guy," Ryou said.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Just pointing out a technicality."

"It's all semantics," Kyou said. "Come on. Let's go tell our parents the news."


	2. Chapter 2

Kyou stood quietly in the turbolift as the doors parted, revealing the Enterprise's main bridge. It was an impressive facility with stations lining most of walls. The bridge seemed like a mixture of a Galaxy class and a Sovereign class bridge. To her immediate right was the tactical station, and to her left was operations. Dead ahead, flanked by the first officer's and counselor's chairs was the illustrious Captain's chair. The two stations on the forefront of the bridge was the helm and Ops stations. Tactical was on the aft section of the bridge. Communications and Engineering were next to each other, as Kyou felt they always should be considering her parents' positions on the Alexandria bridge.

The three cadets walked onto the main bridge with Captain Sijael in the center seat. Kyou stood in front with Ryou and Zoe flanking her, all three in their new uniforms. They were similar to the previous uniforms but a division colored strip ran across the upper chest and the colored turtleneck underneath was not as prominent.

"Permission to come aboard, Sir."

"Granted," Sijael said. "Take your places." Kyou noticed a blonde haired girl at the navigation station. She looked very familiar but she couldn't place her.

"I'll be down in sickbay," Ryou said as she headed back for the turbolift. Zoeslowly stepped into the facility and eased her way into the operations station to her left, relieving the Ensign situated there before sitting down at the station. Kyou took her seat on the captain's right.

"Lieutenant Dowey," Sijael said. "Take us out."

"Aye, Sir." That's when it hit Kyou. The navigator was the daughter of Nathan Dowey who served on the Alexandria with her parents. Her name was Lila Dowey. This made her feel more comfortable with her fellow officers. She glanced around taking a mental note of the officers and their positions. The ship's counselor was not on the bridge at the moment but looked at who was present. She realized she didn't know anyone's names aside from Ops and navigation. A red haired Human female was stationed at communications and a Bajoran male was stationed at tactical. The turbolift doors opened and a female officer went straight to the engineering console, sporting lieutenant commander pips. She had crimson colored skin, jade colored hair and reflective silver eyes. Her name was Xi'Rin Sae. Kyou definitely knew her name. This particular officer was rather famous due to being the only Breen in Starfleet. She was part of the sub-species known as the Napaj. Kyou remembered her mother telling a story of her infiltration onto a Breen planet and met one of the Napaj.

The ship pulled out of drydock and maneuvered into open space.

"Set course for Vulcan."

Dowey entered the commands into her console and waited for the captain's official word to jump into warp.

Sijael turned to Kyou. "Give the command"

"Engage," Kyou said fighting back a smile.

Kyou strolled the bridge, observing everyone at their stations. She wanted to appear as a good first officer, not wanting people to think ill thoughts about her because she became first officer straight out of the academy. She wondered why she was chosen for such a position and if she really stood out that much than other officers in the fleet? She surmised that it couldn't been that much of a mistake if her sister became the CMO and Zoe was head of Operations. She wondered if the Federation was in that bad of shape with the war with the Klingons that they needed positions filled by cadets. She had an uneasy feeling in her stomach, as though something big was on the horizon. The Romulans had been quiet for some time since the Hobus star went nova and destroyed Romulus. The Borg haven't been heard from in some years. The Cardassians had their own internal issues, dealing with a faction that split off from the Cardassion Union calling themselves the True Way. There have been reports of Species 8472 sightings all throughout the quadrant. Their official name was the Undine. They will go after anyone they come across, it doesn't matter to them.

A set of beeps came from the communications station. The red haired Human turned in her seat toward the captain.

"Sir, we're picking up a distress call. Audio only."

"Let's hear it, Collett"

"This is the S.S. Break Even. Our warp drive is failing. We require assistance." The transmission cut out after that.

"The Break Even is a Ferengi cargo ship," Zoe said.

"Dowey, adjust course to intercept," Sijael said. He turned to Kyou, who was walking down the ramp to her chair. "What do you think, Kyou?"

"Something doesn't seem right," she said. "There was something about the voice that makes me feel uneasy."

"I agree, but we can't just ignore it. Suggestions?"

"I say we go to yellow alert just to be safe."

"A wise precaution."

"Then we can beam the crew aboard and treat their wounded while we fix their ship."

Sijael nodded. "Go ahead and go to the transporter room to help with wounded."

Kyou stood up from her chair and headed for the turbolift.

After arriving to the scene, the S.S. Break Even sat amongst an asteroid belt with plasma leaking from its hull. It appeared to be adrift. The Enterprise moved alongside the disabled ship. Kyou tapped her combadge, "Transporter room, start beaming over survivors."

"I'm getting some weird readings," the transporter chief said. "I can't get a solid lock. There is some sort of interference. I'm trying to compensate. Got 'em. Transporting not."

The transporter chief entered the commands into the console and beams of light appeared in the transporter chamber. However, once the transport cycle was complete, the Caitian transporter chief was surprised by who materialized on the transporter pad.

"KLINGONS!"

"This vessel belongs to us now." The Klingons opened fire.

Sijael to Zofchak. The Break Even was a ruse. There are Klingon transporter signatures all over the ship. We're being boarded. Get them off my ship."

She exited the turbolift to see a group of security officers coming out of the armory with phaser rifles in their hands. They straightened their posture when they saw Kyou approaching. One of the officers handed her a phaser rifle.

"What are your orders, Sir?" one of the officers asked.

"Secure the ship," she said. "We need to get rid of the Klingons."

Suddenly, the officer that handed her the rifle was hit in the chest with a green bolt from a disruptor. Kyou spun around, aiming her rifle and firing almost instantly. She hit both Klingons that dropped to the deck after being hit by the orange beam. Kyou hoped that her great aim inspired the security guards enough.

More Klingons came running around the corner and opened fire. Kyou and the security officers took position and returned fire. The firefight only lasted a few moments before Kyou and her team came out victorious. She saw a single Klingon come running down the corridor. She kneeled and took aim again. Before she could pull the trigger, the bulkhead next to the Klingon exploded exposing the deck to open space. Luckily for Kyou and her team, the automatic forcefields activated just past the breach. Unluckily for the Klingon, he was pulled out into the deadly vastness.

Kyou ran into the transporter room to see the Caitian transporter chief behind the console with a phaser firing at the Klingons who approached him. Kyou's sudden appearance caught the Klingons off guard and she used that to her advantage. She killed both Klingons as she entered the room. The Caitian stood up from behind the console.

"Thank you, Sir. I was sure they were going to kill me."

"We're not out of this yet," Kyou said. "I want you to try and lock on to as many Klingons as you can and beam them into space."

"Wouldn't the shields be up, Sir?"

Kyou shook her head. "Not if they are still beaming in. I don't know why we haven't raised shields yet. With the shields down, they could have blasted us into nothingness but as you can tell, the rocking has stopped which means they've stopped firing on the ship. I think they want more than to just destroy the ship. This is the Enterprise. They want it as a trophy."

The transporter chief started entering commands into the console. "Sir, you should get to the bridge. I'll transporter the Klingons off the ship as you ordered."

Kyou nodded before she ran out the door and to the turbolift.

Moments later, she exited the turbolift and stepped onto the bridge. The lights had dimmed and a red glow from the red alert klaxon engulfed the bridge. She saw a Klingon commander with a disruptor pointed at the captain's head. Kyou aimed her rifle and had the Klingon her sights. She was about to pull the trigger when the Klingon and Sijael disappeared in a Klingon transporter beam.

"Shields up," Kyou ordered as she downed another Klingon. When she heard no response, she saw a Klingon stand up from behind the tactical console with a bloody d'tak in his hand. An orange beam, originating from Kyou's right, struck the Klingon in the face. Kyou looked over to see Xi'Rin holding the phaser. She ran over to tactical to see the body of the Bajoran officer under that console. She entered commands into the tactical console and raised shields.

"Report," Kyou ordered. The remaining bridge officers manned their stations.

"All Klingon boarding parties have been eliminated," Zoe said. "All decks reporting in. We've taken some casualties. All ship systems have taken damage but life support is still functional."

"Collett, send out a distress call. We're gonna need some help here. Rin, get down to Engineering and see what you can do down there."

"Aye, sir," she said as she ran into the turbolift.

Kyou tapped her combadge. "Zofchak to Zofchak, what's your status?" She was more concerned to learn if her sister was still alive and not one of the casualties. She held her breath as she waited for Ryou to respond. Nothing. "Ryou, respond." She felt her voice wanting to give way to her fear but she fought it to maintain composure.

"I'm a little busy right now," Ryou said finally. "We have wounded coming in and we're full. I'll have to get back to you when I'm not trying to save lives."

Kyou let out a sight of relief but maintained her command-esque image. "Understood."

"Sir," Collett said swiveling around in her chair. "We are being hailed by the Klingon ship."

"On screen."

The screen switched from the star field to an image of its commander. "This is Captain Kajet of the I.K.S. Chor. You may have managed to survive and force my boarding parties off your ship but my ship is still cloaked and you cannot defeat us. If you surrender, I will spare your captain. If you do not comply, I will kill your captain and then destroy your ship."

"Does the phrase 'go suck a lemon' hold any meaning for you?"

"Perhaps your captain will change your mind." Kajet pulled a bruised Captain Sijael into view. "Order your ship to surrender or we will destroy them."

Sijael faced the viewscreen. "Kyou, you are now captain of the ship. Your orders...are to...lock onto my combadge and fire."

Kajet cursed loudly that Kyou translated it as something that would offend everyone in a Bajoran temple. Suddenly, the Klingon commander pulled a d'tak and stabbed Sijeal in the throat.

Everyone on the Enterprise bridge stood in shock as they witnessed the murder of their captain. Kyou clinched her fist and pounded it on the console. Coming back to her senses and remembering her captain's final order, she entered commands into her console.

"Establishing targeting lock," she said. "Got it. Firing quantum torpedoes."

The Enterprise lashed out a series of quantum torpedoes into the vastness of space. They all appeared to be headed for nothing but then they all turned in sync and then slammed into something. That something shimmered into existence, revealing to be a Klingon battleship.

"It's a Negh'var battlecrusier." Zoe said.

Explosions erupted all over the Klingon ship. Consoles exploded, sending officers to the deck. Kajet stood up and pulled a dead Klingon off of the nearby console.

"Report!"

"Direct hit. Casualties on all decks. Weapons and shields are offline."

"Cloak and begin repairs," Kajet said as he pulled the combadge from Sijael's body and crushed it, so that they couldn't be tracked again. The Klingon ship shimmered out of existence again.

"We lost the signal," Zoe said. "We can't track them. We're sitting ducks out here. I wish we would have damaged their cloaking device so we could finish them off."

"Time to see if you remember your history, Zoe," Kyou said. "Accompany me to the torpedo room."


	3. Chapter 3

Kyou and Zoe ran down the corridor, dodging debris and the occasional dead Klingon as they made their way to the torpedo room. Kyou hit her combadge.

"Engineering, what's your status?"

"Most of the plasma injectors are damaged beyond repair," Xi'Rin said.

"Do you have replacements?"

"Not enough. Plasma injectors are made to withstand quite a beating but I think the Klingons specifically targeted them to sabotage us. It's an effective way to cripple a ship. I'm utilizing what spares we have but we're short three injectors. Without them, we can't go to warp."

"What about the Break Even?" Kyou asked. "Can we take some plasma injectors from them since they won't be needing them?"

"Yes, I believe we can beam the spares to the Enterprise. However, I'll need to run a diagnostic on them to make sure they're compatible. I don't want to blow up as soon as we enter warp."

"Get on it, Commander."

Kyou tapped her combadge to end the transmission. The two entered the torpedo room and went to the nearest torpedo. Kyou opened it and began to make adjustments.

"So what exactly are we doing?"

"We are adjusting the sensors on the torpedo to detect plasma emissions from the Klingon ship. Even when cloaked it can still be detected and these adjustments will allow the torpedo to find its target. This is the only way we can fight while they're cloaked. I don't know about you but I don't want to die at the hands of the Klingons on the first day out of the academy."

"So what does this have to do with history?"

Kyou let out a small laugh. "Did you fall asleep in Starfleet history? The crew of the Enterprise-A did this same thing when they faced off against a bird of prey that could fire while cloaked."

"Oh, when they were signing the first Khitomer Accords?"

"Right. So now we are doing the exact same thing."

"So much for the Khitomer Accords," Zoe said.

"That happens when new leaders gain power," Kyou said as she pressed more buttons on the torpedo's console. Kyou felt her combadge vibrate and then chirp as it activated.

"Bridge to Zofchak," Collett said.

"Go ahead."

"We are receiving a transmission from the U.S.S. Renown."

Kyou walked over to a nearby screen. "Patch it down here." The screen activated, showing a Vulcan sitting in the center seat of a Galaxy class bridge. "This is Kyou Zofchak, in command of the Enterprise."

"I am Captain Vo'lok of the U.S.S. Renown. We were on our way to rendezvous with the U.S.S. Khitomer when we received your distress signal. What is the situation?"

"We were ambushed by Klingons and they killed Captain Sijael. I'm in command now."

"I see. A Klingon commander would have to be very bold to travel this deep into Federation territory. We will escort you to Earth Starbase." Suddenly, the image shook. Red alert klaxons wailed on the Renown. "Shields up!"

"Looks like the Klingons are back," Kyou said. "They can fire while cloaked. We are preparing a torpedo to lock onto their plasma emissions."

"Then I will not keep you from your job. We will keep them occupied while you complete your task. Renown out."

Kyou returned to the torpedo and moments later their task was complete. Kyou ran over to the controls to load the torpedo into the chamber. "Computer, transfer bridge tactical functions to this terminal."

"Functions transferred."

"Let's see what these bastards think of this," Kyou said as she fired the torpedo. The blue torpedo flew out into space and maneuvered around, looking for its target. It looked out of control with no real heading. Suddenly, it slammed into its invisible target that became visible.

The Renown locked phasers and torpedoes and unleashed a barrage on the Klingon ship. Kajet was surrounded by explosions, fires and more dead officers as his ship ultimately exploded.

Kyou and Zoe returned to the bridge. Repairs were still underway and a Bolian lieutenant had taken over the tactical station for the time being. Engineering crews were at most of the consoles, repairing them.

Collett turned to face Kyou. "Sir, message coming in from the Renown."

"On screen," she said. Captain Vo'lok appeared on the viewscreen. Kyou could see there had been some damage to the Renown's bridge but it was no where as bad as her own bridge.

"We will escort you back to Earth. We will need to inform the Khitomer of our delay." Vo'lok looked over as someone off screen was talking to him. "My communication officer informs me we are unable to contact the Khitomer. We will proceed to their coordinates and determine if they require assistance. Your ship will accompany us."

"Yes, sir," Kyou said as the screen switched off. She tapped her combadge. "Helm, set course for the Pollux system. Maximum warp."

Kyou walked onto the bridge as the ship was at warp. Crewmembers were still working on the systems and consoles. She saw Zoe standing in front of her console with her forearms resting on it. She stared to the command chair but her stare looked blank. She didn't seem to react when Kyou approached her. It was only when Kyou placed a hand on her shoulder is when Zoe reacted.

"Put it out of your mind, Zoe."

"It's hard, sir. I did my best during the battle but on our first day. We didn't even have time to mentally prepare for this. We learn all this stuff in the academy but still nothing will fully prepare you for this, except for the real thing."

"I wish I could say something comforting but there isn't anything that would bring any comfort. The best we can do is to continue on the way that Captain Sijael would want us to continue. That is one of the best ways to honor someone."

Zoe nodded. She needed to be strong. At twenty-two, she had gone through a lot in one day that many officers don't experience until they've been in space for a few years. This was her first day out of the academy. She fought her tears and forced down a nervous shiver. She used the sleeve of her filthy uniform to dry her face, then she reached down and entered a few commands on her console.

Kyou patted her on the shoulder before proceeding on. She looked over at the blonde navigator who had a large gash on the side of her face.

"You're injured," Kyou said.

"It's nothing." Dowey said. "I'm okay."

"We're fine at the moment, Lieutenant. Get yourself down to sickbay and have my sister fix you up. That's an order."

Lila hesitated. "Yes, sir." As Lila left her station, walking to the turbolift, an ensign came over to take her spot.

Lila walked through the doors of sickbay. The first thing she noticed was the red alert klaxon had frozen, leaving the denizens of medical facility shrouded in an ominous red fog. Meanwhile, countless crewmen were sprawled out on the bio-beds, awaiting medical treatment.

Lila stepped to the side trying not to get in anyone's way. Moments later, Ryou emerged from the fog with her medical tricorder in hand.

"Do you need something, Lieutenant?"

Lila turned to face Ryou, revealing the gash on the left side of her face. "I was ordered to come hereto take care of this little present from the Klingons."

"Really? I thought you were here for a social visit," Ryou chirped as she used one hand to hold Lila's head steady as she waved a dermal regenerator over the wound, erasing its existence.

"Aren't there other patients to take care of before me?"

"So far all have been stabilized or are being treated by other nurses or the EMH," Ryou said. "How's my sister?"

"In command," Lila said.

The statement caught Ryou off guard. Lila saw a few other people focus their attention on her after mentioning that fact.

"The captain?"

"Dead. He was captured and killed by the Klingons."

Ryou dropped the regenerator. "Oh," she said quietly. She shook off the sudden feeling of doom and stared at the doors as they opened to reveal six more injured crewmen. "Damn," she whispered.

With her wound healed, Lila walked out of sickbay

Both ships dropped out of warp with the Excelsior class Khitomer directly a head of them. Green clouds of radiation floated around the ship. These pockets of radiation could easily engulf a starship and do an unknown amount of damage to its systems. However, the origin of this radiation was unknown.

"Hail them," Kyou said. Collett pressed a few buttons on her console and a static filled image of Captain Yim appeared on the screen.

"Captain Vo'lok and Captain Sijael? What are you both doing here?"

"Not Captain Sijael, Sir. I'm in command now. Captain Vo'lok ordered me to accompany him to your location."

"These cadets were the unfortunate victims of a Klingon ambush," Vo'lok said. "Captain Sijael is dead and the ship is under the command of this cadet. The Renown was escorting them back to Earth, but when we could not raise the Khitomer I deemed it imperative to alter our course and assess the situation. What is your status?"

"I'm troubled by the anomalies in this system, and if they are affecting long range communications then they're doubly a cause for concern. We've launched a few probes and with them active, we can do an in depth scan of the anomalies. With all three ships collecting data, we should be able to complete this quickly and formulate a course of action. The Renown has the largest science team, so I recommend we send our data there for analysis."

"Agreed," Kyou said. "We will begin our scans immediately. Enterprise out."

The ships moved off to different radiation pockets and began their scans.

"Sir," Zoe said. "Scans indicate these pockets contain high levels of gamma radiation."

Kyou put her hand to her chin and thought for a moment. "Hail the Khitomer," she said.

Captain Yim appeared on the screen. "Khitomer here."

"Captain, are you picking up the same gamma radiation levels? Normal scans don't seem to be enough. How can we improve our findings?"

"We are going to try performing a reverse tachyon pulsewave scan in hopes that will solve our sensor issue. Let me know if anything comes up. Khitomer out." The screen went blank.

"The deflector dish is realigned for a reverse tachyon pulsewave, sir."

"Good, let's scan that radiation and see what we find." The deflector dish glowed as the Enterprise continued its scan of the radiation.

"I'm picking up a transwarp signature," Zoe said. "It's right on top of us! The Borg!"

"Red alert! Fire all weapons!"


	4. Chapter 4

"LOWER YOUR SHIELDS AND SURRENDER YOUR SHIPS! YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!"

The Borg probe squared off against the Enterprise, firing its disruptor and cutting beams at the ship in an attempt to destroy its shields and lock onto it with a tractor beam. The Enterprise swung around and fired a folly of quantum torpedoes that slammed into the probe, destroying it.

"There are more Borg ships attacking the Renown and Khitomer," Zoe said.

"Helm, move us in to firing range of the other probes," Kyou said. "Tactical, attack pattern delta." The Enterprise moved at full impulse to engage the other probes.

"FROM THIS TIME FORWARD, YOUR CULTURE WILL ADAPT TO SERVICE OURS!"

"They obviously haven't learned anything," Kyou said.

The Khitomer took a beating and was leaking drive plasma but the Renown seemed to sustain moderate damage. The final probes didn't last long with multiple ships attacking them.

"We're being hailed by the Renown," Collett said.

"On screen."

Captain Vo'lok appeared on the screen once again. "The Khitomer is being overwhelmed by Borg boarding parties. They were brutally efficient on the Khitomer. The Borg have not been seen in the Alpha Quadrant in decades. Their arrival cannot simply be a coincidence. I will send teams to the Khitomer. You will have to finish the scans of the anomalies because I hesitate to speculate without all of the data from the sensor probes. You also must inform me if you or your crew are unable to continue. The Borg evoke a strong emotional response that can rattle even trained Starfleet officers. A crew of cadets that have already survived a Klingon attack may be unable to cope."

Kyou looked around to her crew and she read the answer on all of their faces. She turned her gaze back to Vo'lok. "We will get the job done."

The communication ended and the Enterprise moved around to the anomalies to collect the data. After collecting the data, they sent it to the Renown. Now they just had to wait to see what the analysis would reveal.

Zoe looked at her console after a series of beeps grabbed her attention. "Sir, more Borg transwarp signatures detected."

Kyou sighed in her head as multiple probes appeared. "Attack pattern epsilon."

The Enterprise maneuvered through space as she unleashed phaser and torpedo barrages on the Borg ships. Suddenly, a hexagonal shape transwarp hub appeared.

"Multiple Borg warp signatures detected," Zoe reported. Dozens of Borg spheres dropped out of warp and surrounded the three starships. The Enterprised continued to fire at the ships.

"We're outnumbered," Dowey said. "There's no way we can..."

Suddenly, the spheres began warping away.

"They're departing," Zoe said. "Maybe they're looking for a more strategic target."

"Message coming in from the Renown."

"Let's see it."

Vo'lok appeared on the screen once again. "Here is the situation as we see it. The Borg are using the Pollux system as a staging area for a larger invasion. Long range sensors are already detecting inbound transwarp signatures. The most likely target for their first strike is the Vega system. There is a civilian colony there, and if the Borg could take it by surprise they would have large numbers of new drones at their disposal."

Zoe turned around in her chair, "Sir, Ava..."

Kyou cut her off by holding up a hand. "The Enterprise should go to Vega to warn the colonists."

"That seems resonable," Vo'lok said. "We will remain here to hold off further attacks and to assist the Khitomer."

"Will you be able to hold them off?"

"This is not a matter of 'can,' Cadet. It's a matter of 'must'. We must buy you as much time as possible. Once we are no longer in a position to help, we will stage a tactical retreat. You should have enough time to warn the colony. I will attempt to summon additional ships but you cannot wait for them to arrive."

"Understood. We will set course for Vega. Enterprise out." The screen went blank. "Set a course for the Vega system. Maximum warp."

The Enterprise warped out of the system just as more Borg ships began dropping out of warp around the Khitomer and Renown and began to hammer the two ships."

The Enterprise dropped out of warp in the Vega system. There were no other ships in the area. Kyou was relieved they had arrived before the Borg. It gave them just a little bit of room to prepare and warn the colonists.

"Collett, hail the planet."

The screen switched over to a static filled image of a woman with gray hair. She looked pleasant and completely unaware of the horror headed for her planet.

"Greetings, Captain. Is there something I can do for you today?"

"The Borg are on their way to this system. You need to start evacuating."

"Can you repeat that? Your signal is breaking up. Did you say the Borg?"

"Administrator, the Borg are on their way. You have to evacuate now."

Suddenly the signal went dead. Kyou snapped her head to Collett who was trying frantically to get the signal back.

"What happened?"

"We lost contact with the colony. Something is blocking all subspace signals in the area. The Borg may be trying to isolate the planet before they take it over."

"We have incoming," Zoe said, "More Borg warp signatures. I don't know if we can make it."

More ships dropped out of warp around the planet. It was a mixture of spheres, probes and planetary assimilation ships.

"We make our stand here," Kyou said. "We're the only ship in the area that can help...or die trying." She knew this was the duty of a Starfleet officer.

"Borg landing craft detected nearby," Zoe reported.

"Let's engage them before they can cause any damage."

The Enterprise engaged the ships and destroyed most of them but a few were able to slip past and land on the planet. As the last Borg ship exploded, Kyou headed for the turbolift.

"Zoe you're with me. Ryou, meet us in transporter room three."

The three of them beamed down just outside the capital. The land was barren with uprooted plants, trees and dead animals. They made their way into the colony.

"Sir, according to my tricorder readings, over half the planet is already assimilated by the Borg. At the rate they're progressing, the region we're in will be overrun in roughly one hour. And if that wasn't enough, the interference is affecting the ship's transporters."

"It's always something," Kyou said. "We will manually tag any survivors we find for transport."

Ryou looked up to see the Borg planetary assimilation ships in the air above them. She activated her tricorder and aimed it at the ship.

"Sir, those landing ships don't just carry drones. They can pump nanoprobes into the ground and atmosphere."

"We'll have to act fast," Kyou said. "That may be why we saw those dead animals. The nanoprobes have been engineered to assimilate beings that will benefit the Collective. I don't think animals will benefit them at all."

They came across a group of refugees. The away team tagged all of them and they were immediately transported to the Enterprise. Suddenly, a green beam impacted ground, almost knocked the officers off their feet.

"We have to hurry," Ryou said. The three approached the outer rim of the colony. There were another group of colonists outside the main gates. A Cardassian woman approached them.

"We weren't sure if anyone from Starfleet got our distress call. We didn't want to open the gate and become victims to the Borg. The administrator and some of the others are still in there. You have to help them."

"We'll do what we can," Kyou said as she placed a transporter tag on the woman. The group of colonists disappeared in columns of light. After the transporter effect dissipated, Kyou entered commands into the console and let out a sigh to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to see. The three officers opened the gates and entered Hell.


	5. Chapter 5

They stepped into the colony and the first thing they see is two drones assimilating a colonist. They opened fire and took down the two drones and the woman being assimilated. They were too late to save the woman as Kyou could see the nanoprobes already starting to change the woman's face. They proceeded on, deeper into the colony. There was an eeriness to the colony with all of the Borg technology taking over. The sounds of machines working along side the creepy green glow that emanated from assimilated sections.

"Sir?" Zoe said.

"What is it, Zoe?"

"What if Ava was assimilated?" Her voice was filled with concern and fear. Zoe did not want to encounter an assimilated version of their friend. She didn't think she would have the courage to pull the trigger if they encountered her.

"Then we do her a favor and pull the trigger," Kyou said flatly.

"I don't know if I can do that, sir."

Kyou stopped and turned to Zoe. "You may not have to now but there may come a time where you will have to pull that trigger to save your friend or family member and if that means killing them then so be it." She turned around and started walking again.

"How can you be so cold, sir?"

Kyou stopped and snapped her head back at Zoe. "You know me better than that, Cadet. I'm in charge of everyone on the ship and I have to keep a level mind. If I don't, if I let my emotions cloud my judgment then everyone could die and I don't want that on my conscious."

"Even if that means killing a friend or family member?"

"Even then," Kyou said turning back around.

Zoe began to think that this was not the same Kyou Zofchak that left San Francisco only hours ago. This Kyou Zofchak was different. It was as though taking command changed her instantaneously.

They proceeded deeper into the colony and encountered more drones. They were surrounding more civilians getting ready to assimilate them. Kyou could hear the useless screams and pleas of the colonists. Kyou knelt down and activated the sniper function on her rifle. The scope lit up and she took aim. Her phaser blast took the head off one of the drones. Ryou and Zoe also opened fire, downing the drones. The colonists looked so relieved that they were saved. The three officers ran up and tagged them and waited for them to completely dematerialize before proceeding on.

Kyou's combadge chirped and vibrated.

"Enterprise to away team, we have the colonists. There is still no sign of the Renown or Khitomer, sir."

"Understood," Kyou said.

Kyou ran up to attack another drone that was in the process of assimilating a colonist but they were beamed away in a green Borg transporter beam. Kyou mentally cursed in her head for losing another colonist. They turned a corner to see a group of drones closing in on the administrator and another person with a phaser rifle.

The three officers took aim and fired. The drones had adapted to their weapons' settings. After remodulating them, they fired again and this time the drones fell.

"Identify yourself," a female voice demanded. Kyou recognized the voice.

"Ava. It's me. Kyou."

Ava lowered her weapon and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh my god. I thought they were going to get us. I would rather die than be assimilated into the Collective. It's good to see you."

The administrator walked up to the officers. "If it wasn't for Ava, the Borg would have assimilated me by now. What's the situation? Are you bringing more Starfleet reinforcements?"

"We're the only ones here. The Enterprise is in orbit."

"I see," she said with a sigh. "Then that means Vega will fall to the Borg. A single starship cannot stop this. But we still have more to do. Many colonists are hiding in their homes. We cannot abandon them to the Borg."

"We can rescue them," Kyou said. "But something is blocking our transporters."

"I know. Ava and I have been trying to get around the interference field. Thank you for tagging the people you found and getting them safely transported to your ship."

"That can't be everyone."

"No, many are still in the buildings but Ava and I were planning to set up pattern enhancers to cut through the interference. That should do the trick."

"I agree. If we use the pattern enhancers in combinations of boosting the annular confinement beam then we should be able to get the people out of here. Zoe, Ava. Set up the enhancers. Administrator, I'll need you to signal the colonists to come here for transport."

"I'll do that. How do you think you can hold off the Borg?"

"As long as we need to. Give the signal."

Ava and Zoe ran over and set up the pattern enhancers in a triangular formation. The tips glowed and sent a blue beam to its neighboring enhancer. The administrator ran over to the nearby console and entered a few commands, sending a signal to the colonists.

As the colonists began running in and entering the area between the enhancers, more Borg drones came around the corner.

"Concentrate your fire on the Borg. Keep them away from the civilians," Kyou ordered. The four Starfleet officers took aim and fired.

"Remember when we thought fighting a crazed Klingon was the worst thing that could happen today?" Zoe joked.

"You guys will need to bring me up to speed as to what went on before this," Ava said.

"If we survive this," Ryou said.

"We will survive this, Cadet." Kyou snapped as she fired off another round from her phaser rifle. Ava was a bit surprised by Kyou's tone.

"What happened to Kyou?"

"She's our commanding officer." Ryou said.

"She's what? What happened to your captain?"

"We'll explain later," Kyou said. "Right now concentrate on saving the civilians.

Kyou felt her combadge vibrate. She liked the vibrating aspect of it since she didn't hear it chirp over the phaser fire.

"Sir, we have detected more Borg vessels heading to our location. We also located a type of generator near your position. It is the device that is affecting our transporters. If you can destroy it then we can transport as many people from the area as we can."

"Hang in there, Collett. We'll take out the generator. Now you need to beam up the administrator."

"Understood. Enterprise out."

"Thank you for everything you've done," the administrator said. "Even though it was impossible to save everyone, those you did save will forever be in your debt. Don't forget that."

"We're not finished yet. Ava, you're with me."

"Yes, sir. The Borg aren't getting this planet without a fight."

Kyou nodded. "You've been here longer than we have so you may see some people you know that have been assimilated. Don't hesitate."

"I know the drill, sir."

Zoe ran over and entered commands into the console to activate the gate leading to outside the colony. As soon as the gates opened, assimilated colonists began their assault. The officers opened fire. The new drones didn't last long against the Starfleet weapons. After those drones were eliminated, they took off towards the generator. More drones marched towards them. Ava fired her rifle taking down the two drones.

"I knew one of them. That guy showed me around the colony after I arrived."

"Push it from your mind for now," Kyou said. "You can mourn for your friends later."

They ran down into a valley where eerie green light emanated. Kyou knew that's where the transport inhibitor was located. They came into the clearing and saw a few drones around the inhibitor. The inhibitor itself was a giant machine with a rotating arch. Only Borg nanoprobes could erect such a device in a matter of hours.

"That looks like an assimilated Jem'Hadar at the controls," Zoe said.

The four officers opened fire but the drones had adapted to the frequency. Zoe and Ava cursed as they remodulated their weapons. The drones began their zombie walk towards them.

After the remodulation, the weapons were effective again and the drones fell before they could reach them. They hurriedly approached the device but were still cautious of their surroundings. The Borg had a habit of popping out of nowhere.

"Zoe, see what you can do with that. We'll cover you." The other three took defensive stances as Zoe entered commands into the console. Only a few moments had gone by before they heard what sounded like a shut down.

"That did it," Zoe said.

Kyou tapped her combadge. "Zofchak to Enterprise. Start beaming civilians out now."

Kyou felt the effects of the transporter wash over her as she was pulled away from the ground and rematerialized on the transporter pad. She darted out of the transporter room with the other three officers in tow.

She marched onto the bridge and right for her chair. "Report."

Collett spun around in her chair. "We're packed to the brim with civilians. Communications are still jammed so we can't reach the Renown or the Khitomer. Also, Vega is a huge trading outpost, there are always ships traveling here. We need to warn them the Borg have taken over."

"Can we reconfigure the satellites in the system to send an automated warning?"

Zoe sat down at her console. "We can probably do that. With the civilians on board, we'll need to warp out of here. The first satellite does lead away from the planet so we can remotely reconfigure them as we leave. The message won't get very far but anyone who enters the system will get the signal and be able to turn around before it's too late."

"Sounds like a plan. Dowey, lay in a course for the satellites. Ava, I would like you at tactical for the moment." She nodded as she moved from her position, which was still near the turbolift to the tactical station on the aft section of the bridge.

The Enterprise moved up to the first satellite and reconfigured it. A set of beeping came from the tactical station.

"Sir, we have multiple probes inbound."

"Attack pattern delta," Kyou said. The Enterprise responded to the commands that were entered into the consoles at the helm and tactical. Phaser beams lashed out and torpedoes found their targets. The probes didn't last long against the Enterprise. After the probes exploded, the ship moved on the next satellite.

"Sir," Zoe said. "There are several fast moving ships on sensors. No way to contact them and I can't tell if they are friend or foe."

"I guess we'll find out when they arrive," Kyou said.

They reconfigured the next satellite and suddenly a ship warped in right in front of them. It dwarfed the Enterprise. It was a Borg cube.

"A cube?" Zoe exclaimed. "I guess it's our time to go out in the blaze of glory."

"Don't count us out yet, Cadet," Kyou said. "Fire transphasic torpedoes. Dispersal pattern, Sierra."

The Enterprise fired transphasic torpedoes that suddenly separated into six torpedoes and struck the cube causing it to explode. After the explosion subsided, Kyou slowly rose from her seat in horror.

"My god." Dozens of Borg cubes were in orbit around Vega. "Helm, set a course out of the system. Maximum warp."

Suddenly, more ships entered the system. It was the Renown, Defiant, Khitomer and the Agamemnon.

"Message coming in from the Renown," Collett said.

"On screen."

"You have done well so far. Excellent thinking on reconfiguring the satellites as warning beacons. We received the signal as soon as we entered the system."

"What's going to happen to Vega? Is there going to be an attempt to retake the planet?"

"Starfleet command will be discussing that option. Your priority now is to protect the civilians on your ship and to ensure the safety of your crew. Return to Earth and report to Admiral Janeway. She will have more information for you."

"Yes, sir. Enterprise out," Kyou said as she sat down in the center chair. "Set a course for Earth. Maximum warp. Engage." Kyou noticed there was virtually no time between her command and the ship leaping into warp. She guessed that Dowey had the course laid in already. She couldn't blame her. No one in their right mind would want to stick around with so many cubes in orbit. She was glad to get out of this alive and head back to Earth. However, that was more than what she could say for her captain.


	6. Chapter 6

The Enterprise arrived back at Earth Spacedock not exactly in the same condition when she left. She entered the bay doors and took position inside the ship bay. Only an Akira class and a Steamrunner class occupied the bay. The ship was going to be repaired and Kyou had to report to Admiral Janeway. She, Ryou, Ava and Zoe beamed aboard ESD and headed for Janeway's office. Kyou felt a little nervous at the thought of speaking with the higher brass. She felt she hadn't done anything wrong and felt equally sure she made the best decisions possible. It could be that she just felt a little intimidated by Admiral Janeway since the Admiral is widely known and respected.

The four of them entered the office to see Admiral Katheryn Janeway sitting behind her desk. Kyou's nervousness faded when she saw the admiral's warm smile appear on her face.

"Please come in and sit down," Janeway said. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Admiral, I am Cadet Kyou Zofchak and these are my officers. My sister and chief medical officer, Ryou Zofchak, my operations officer Zoe Merriell and Ava Allensworth, formerly assigned to Vega Colony."

"Allensworth?" Janeway asked with a bit of surprise. "Any relation to Jermaine Allensworth?"

"Yes, ma'am. He was my father."

"I was sorry to hear about what had happened to him. He was a valued member of my crew and a great captain."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am."Ava said.

Janeway turned her attention to Kyou. "I received a message from Captain Vo'Lok. He says he gave you a battlefield commission to give you command of the Enterprise. As a cadet, you were assigned to the academy training cruise under Captain Sijael, correct? As acting first officer?"

"Yes, ma'am. That is correct," Kyou said.

"From the reports, you've faced off against Klingon raiders and a Borg invasion force all within hours of leaving Starfleet Academy. That's a bit unusual. In your own words, tell me what happened."

Kyou went on to explain the events that occurred after leaving the academy with supporting statements from the other three. Janeway's attention never faltered. She kept her eyes locked onto Kyou the entire time as she gave her report.

"That's a hell of a story, cadet."

"I agree, ma'am. But that's how things happened. Not exactly how I imagined my first day out."

"I thought the same thing when I first took command of Voyager. First day out and I'm flung seventy thousand light years away from Earth and into the Delta Quadrant. Being part of Starfleet means that weird and the unexpected become part of your daily life. I have supporting statements from Captains Vo'lok and Yim as well as the administrator from Vega Colony. All three of them cite your bravery and command skills, as well as you and your crew's willingness to put yourself in harm's way to preserve the lives of others."

"Yes, ma'am. It's part of the duty of being a Starfleet officer and as a child to two officers, that has been part of my upbringing."

"And you're exactly the type of officer Starfleet needs," Janeway said. "I think you've proven yourself capable of sitting in the captain's chair."

"Ma'am?"

"Under normal circumstances, it would take you years of hard work to get your own command. But these are not normal circumstances. We're at war with the Klingon Empire and the Borg have returned. I'm losing more trained officers and ships than I can spare. Ships we can build but leaders with courage and honor, those are harder to find. I need someone who can handle themselves in a crisis and get the best out of their crew. Even though you're young, I think you're that person. I hereby promote you to the rank of captain and give you command of the Enterprise."

Kyou, as well as the other three, looked in shock at Janeway's statement. Janeway leaned back in her chair and let a small smile appear on her face. Kyou came back to her senses, a bit embarrassed, and straightened her posture.

"Thank you, ma'am. I won't let you down. What will happen to Vega now?"

Janeway leaned forward again and clasped her hands on her desk. "Unfortunately, the Borg have taken it but we will be gathering resources to launch an attack on the Borg in an attempt to retake Vega." Her attention shifted to Ava. "Since you were previously assigned to Vega and that position no longer exists, how would you like to be transferred to the Enterprise?"

"That will be fine, ma'am," Ava said. "I was hoping to get that assignment."

"From my understanding, all of your parents served on the Alexandria so it seems fitting for all of you to serve together."

"What is our next assignment?" Kyou asked.

"Eager to jump into the fire are we?"

"No ma'am. Just eager to matter and make a difference."

"At the moment, I don't have anything. Besides, the Enterprise took a beating from the Klingons and the Borg so she'll be here for a little while for repairs. Until then, rest up and get things situated. You're the captain now so figure out exactly who you want as your senior staff and rest of your crew."

"Yes ma'am."

Later that day, Kyou sat in the grass on the Starfleet Academy campus with a PADD in her hands. It was a roster for her ship's crew. She had most of the empty spots filled with available officers. The only spot open was the first officer slot. She didn't know who would be suitable for that spot. A shadow loomed over her and it broke her concentration. She looked up to see her mother standing there.

"Figured I'd find you here," Hoshi said. "Your sister said it was your favorite place to study." She sat down next to her daughter and glanced around the area. "This place has changed since I was at the academy. Granted I was at the academy a couple hundred years ago technically." She looked at Kyou who was still fixated on the PADD. "Problems?"

Kyou nodded. "I can't figure out who to make my first officer."

"Why not Zoe? She's second officer right? That would put her next in line."

"Yeah and I've already talked to her about it," Kyou said. "She declined telling me she was comfortable at Ops. I also wanted to keep her there because that's where Captain Sijael assigned her. That is where she is most valuable."

"Don't assign people just because Captain Sijael put them there. The Enterprise is your ship now. I understand your logic in this. You want someone who is qualified and with some experience as well, right?"

Kyou nodded. "Yeah, not to mention I would like a male on the bridge because I just noticed that all of my senior staff is female."

"There's nothing wrong with not having a completely diverse crew. When I served on the Enterprise, we had only had two non Humans on board, Phlox and T'Pol. It's okay if you only have one male senior officer. Besides, most bridge crews are mostly male, even if the captain is female." Hoshi said with a comforting smile. "And be proud. You are the second female captain of the Enterprise."

"Wouldn't T'Pol count?" Kyou asked.

"I was referring to this timeline. T'Pol was captain in my timeline before Trip took command."

"Speaking of the Enterprise," Kyou said. "Something I find funny is out of the eight ships that have been named Enterprise. This family has served on four of them. That's half. And Dad was in command of the E for a few years before they decommissioned it and he retired. It makes me feel that getting command of the Enterprise is part of my destiny."

"It could be," Hoshi said. "It seems to be a common element in this family. You and your crew will add to the legacy. You will write your own page in history."

A man stepped off the turbolift and onto the bridge of the Enterprise. He could feel the eyes of everyone around him lock onto him as he made his way to the captain's ready room. It was something he should have been used to by now but with each new assignment, these uneasy feelings would resurface. He pressed the chime button and then the captain's voice a moment later, allowing him to enter the room. He stepped into the room to see Captain Zofchak behind her desk.

"Commander Ryan Grandon reporting for duty, sir."

Kyou stood up and walked over to Grandon with a hand extended. "Welcome aboard, Commander."

Grandon took the hand and shook it. "Thank you, sir. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve aboard the Enterprise."

"Judging by your service record, you seem to have earned it. Your past commanding officers have given you a lot of praise for your service. In fact, your last captain, Captain Mirra, didn't want to give you up."

Grandon fought a smile. "Permission to speak, sir?"

"Go ahead."

"One thing I am worried about Captain, is my presence on the bridge. You don't think it will affect anyone's performance or their willingness to follow my orders will it?"

Kyou leaned against her desk and folded her arms. "To be honest, I don't think many will be bothered by the fact that we have a former Borg drone serving as first officer. One officer comes to mind but I believe she will perform her duties regardless of who gives them. Her issues with the Borg will have to be dealt with on her own. Besides, there have been several former drones coming back to Starfleet."

"Yes, but most of them have been able to have their implants removed. Some have a few but they're not completely noticeable. Me on the other hand, this implant on the side of my face has fused to my brain and can't be removed and would leave me blind in this eye. It's hard for me to hide the fact that I was once a drone that helped in the assimilation of other species."

Kyou looked at the metallic robotic implant that covered a portion of the left side of Grandon's head, including his left eye.

"Regardless of how you look and your past, you are still Ryan Grandon, first officer aboard the Enterprise and the crew will follow your orders. They will get past your appearance and your future actions will dictate how the crew will come to see you."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, I believe it's time we get underway."

Kyou and Grandon walked out onto the bridge and took their respective chairs. Everyone was manning their stations, ready for orders.

"Dowey, have we been given clearance to leave?"

"Yes, sir. Awaiting for your orders, Captain."

"Well, then. Set course for Vulcan. We have to pick up an Ambassador Sokketh and take him to P'Jem. It should be an easy mission, unlike our last one."

"Course laid in, sir."

"Engage."


End file.
